I though i will write a long due review about Retro Restorer. I am sure most of us have come across these guys..
Now, before i start, i am not against him or any business ideas like his which i think should come up.
This is my experience i am sharing, which i hope will help any fellow club member or any body searching internet to make a wise decision.
I picked up an S2 last year, which needed some body work. Brilliant history, 140,000 miles and a great ex-owner!
As a newbie (before asking here!), found this place over internet. Gave them a call, i have been told to speak to Nash Hunter. He runs another software business or so and Retro restorer was like a hobby.
So spoke to him, sounded friendly and enthusiast about 924's, 924 GT's 944's, 944 Turbos etc..Fixed a date and poped down with the car.
It is a small unit in an industrial estate in Banbury which didn't put me off, as he had few 924's and 944's parked outside. So i thought, OK! nice place to be..There are some fellow Porsche's
He started looking at the car with his painter and quoted what all works need doing. After an hours of talking i decided to do both the sills and a full respray. Now the paint work was done by Neil who owns another company N& J Body work, who is neighbour to Retrorestorer.
I decided to drop the car in a week's time, as i was going on an official trip outside U.K. So the idea was when i am back in few weeks, car will be ready for me..[
].
That was the plan..but...when i checked after a week in to my trip, they said, it was more work than they expected, so it is twice the amount quoted to me... Surprise.!
During my conversation with Neil the painter, he conveyed Nash's cheeky offer to buy my car of me for £1000 (best offer[&o])
I said do not touch the car until i see the car and i will decide what to do next. I came back and negotiated the price to a ''reasonable'' amount.. So i realised the new amount was a blown up figure.
With the talks i was having with Neil and Nash, i though of taking the car back.
I have my painter next to my house, but unluckily, his body worker went on sabbatical.. []
So was stuck with him to get the work done..
Over weeks, i was visiting him, the metal work was decent. But when it came to painting, oh boy, i could have painted better with rattle cans..!
When i checked and complained to Nash, he said it is nothing to do with him or retro restorer, as it is the painters responsibility..!
Great support there.!
Anyways, i said the painter, i won't take the car with $hIT paint job.
During these period i learned his compressor was not powerful enough to give a good paint job plus he never had a proper paint booth[]. My Bad.
I had to raise my voice, and he agreed to re spray the car in another garage done by a 'proper' painter. That didn't happen easy...
After 4 weeks he said, got a brand new compressor & Gun and he got the other painter (i think his name was Geoff) to paint my car. I went down to meet the new painter and he pointed out the faults and suggester a full respray.
So it took 4 months in total for all the job. Of course i wasn't happy with the final job. So gave it back to my painter to correct his mistakes and now a happy man with my S2. But to get where i am now, i had to pay almost two painters 4.5 months of grief.
I would trust Neil the painter more as he admitted his mistake had the sense to offer me a respray with in his capabilities. But never the guy Nash.. In my opinion, he is here for Porsche restorer 'fame' (as he did put details of my car in his website to attract people which I made him remove) and pure business.
So choose these guys wisely.. May be they have some strong points.. But i haven't seen anything other than enthusiastic talks and good business mind..They might be cheap in price compared to others. if that attract you, then expect less quality work...
Hope it helps..and enjoy your Porsche.[]
Now, before i start, i am not against him or any business ideas like his which i think should come up.
This is my experience i am sharing, which i hope will help any fellow club member or any body searching internet to make a wise decision.
I picked up an S2 last year, which needed some body work. Brilliant history, 140,000 miles and a great ex-owner!
As a newbie (before asking here!), found this place over internet. Gave them a call, i have been told to speak to Nash Hunter. He runs another software business or so and Retro restorer was like a hobby.
So spoke to him, sounded friendly and enthusiast about 924's, 924 GT's 944's, 944 Turbos etc..Fixed a date and poped down with the car.
It is a small unit in an industrial estate in Banbury which didn't put me off, as he had few 924's and 944's parked outside. So i thought, OK! nice place to be..There are some fellow Porsche's
He started looking at the car with his painter and quoted what all works need doing. After an hours of talking i decided to do both the sills and a full respray. Now the paint work was done by Neil who owns another company N& J Body work, who is neighbour to Retrorestorer.
I decided to drop the car in a week's time, as i was going on an official trip outside U.K. So the idea was when i am back in few weeks, car will be ready for me..[
]. That was the plan..but...when i checked after a week in to my trip, they said, it was more work than they expected, so it is twice the amount quoted to me... Surprise.!
During my conversation with Neil the painter, he conveyed Nash's cheeky offer to buy my car of me for £1000 (best offer[&o])
I said do not touch the car until i see the car and i will decide what to do next. I came back and negotiated the price to a ''reasonable'' amount.. So i realised the new amount was a blown up figure.
With the talks i was having with Neil and Nash, i though of taking the car back.
I have my painter next to my house, but unluckily, his body worker went on sabbatical.. [
]So was stuck with him to get the work done..
Over weeks, i was visiting him, the metal work was decent. But when it came to painting, oh boy, i could have painted better with rattle cans..!
When i checked and complained to Nash, he said it is nothing to do with him or retro restorer, as it is the painters responsibility..!
Great support there.!
Anyways, i said the painter, i won't take the car with $hIT paint job.
During these period i learned his compressor was not powerful enough to give a good paint job plus he never had a proper paint booth[
]. My Bad.I had to raise my voice, and he agreed to re spray the car in another garage done by a 'proper' painter. That didn't happen easy...
After 4 weeks he said, got a brand new compressor & Gun and he got the other painter (i think his name was Geoff) to paint my car. I went down to meet the new painter and he pointed out the faults and suggester a full respray.
So it took 4 months in total for all the job. Of course i wasn't happy with the final job. So gave it back to my painter to correct his mistakes and now a happy man with my S2. But to get where i am now, i had to pay almost two painters 4.5 months of grief.
I would trust Neil the painter more as he admitted his mistake had the sense to offer me a respray with in his capabilities. But never the guy Nash.. In my opinion, he is here for Porsche restorer 'fame' (as he did put details of my car in his website to attract people which I made him remove) and pure business.
So choose these guys wisely.. May be they have some strong points.. But i haven't seen anything other than enthusiastic talks and good business mind..They might be cheap in price compared to others. if that attract you, then expect less quality work...
Hope it helps..and enjoy your Porsche.[
]
